项目介绍

2025年3月19日

Job description

Pigeons are highly social flyers, exhibiting remarkable coordination when flying in flocks. They rely on visual cues to track and respond to their flockmates’ movements in real-time, adjusting their flight paths with split-second precision. Pigeons adjust their movements based on the positions of a limited number of neighboring birds in order to maintain cohesion and ensure collective navigation.

Swarm flight is of high importance to autonomous drones as well. For many applications, from search-and-rescue to fire monitoring, a swarm of drones can cover larger areas quicker than any single drone could. For swarming to be successful, the perception of neighboring drones is essential. This is the case both for the swarm flight towards an area of interest and for spreading out upon arrival.

We are looking for a PhD candidate to study intra-swarm relative localization in order to realize autonomous swarms of fixed-wing drones. To this end, the candidate will develop multiple, complementary methods for relative localization. Since fixed-wing drones are fast and highly dynamic, the main focus will lie on the use of neuromorphic vision for relative localization. Moreover, given the constrained onboard energy resources, neuromorphic visual processing is envisaged, i.e., with spiking neural networks.

The PhD candidate will be employed at TU Delft, in the Netherlands, and embedded in the Micro Air Vehicle lab (MAVLab) at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. The MAVLab ( https://mavlab.tudelft.nl/ ) is at the forefront of developments for autonomous, bio-inspired drones, ranging from the DelFly flapping wing hardware design to bio-inspired autonomous flight algorithms. It has a range of unique facilities, ranging from a drone design and construction lab to indoor and outdoor flight areas.

At TU Delft, the PhD candidate will work together in a team to establish an autonomous swarm of fixed-wing drones. The primary supervisors will be Guido de Croon (TU Delft), and Giacomo Spigler (University of Tilburg). The PhD position is part of a larger project led by University of Tilburg, “Steadfast”, focusing on human-swarm interaction, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).      

Requirements

• An excellent degree in robotics, artificial intelligence, computer science, or a related subject at Masters level or equivalent.
• Good programming skills in programming languages such as python and/or C++.
• Fluency in English.
• An independent scholar who wants to shape research in the field.
• An interest in interdisciplinary and collaborative research.

Beneficial:

• Hands-on experience with robot or drone hardware.
• Previous research experience.
• Knowledge of drone autopilots and / or ROS.

TU Delft

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Conditions of employment 
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. 

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.  

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.  

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Guido de Croon, via g.c.h.e.decroon@tudelft.nl or .

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 20 Apr 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV.
• Motivational letter (maximum 1 page).
• The names and contact details of two referees (position, professional address, and e-mail).
• Copy of your master’s degree (including transcripts).
• It is highly recommended to include samples of your work (reports, previous publications, videos, code, etc.).

You can address your application to Guido de Croon.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements. 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Applying for an exemption for specific research and educational areas is an obligatory part of the selection procedure for this vacancy. This exemption must be obtained from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) before an employment contract is agreed upon. Click here for more information.